Remember back in elementary school, nothing scared you? Climbing tall trees. Back flips on trampolines. Racing down a steep hill on a Big Wheels knowing full well it had no brakes. Ahh, good times. Okay, maybe that last one wasn’t such an intelligent move and it scared the hell out of me but guess, what? I still remember it today.

The initial excitement, hair flying up then wrapping around my face, wheels spinning faster and faster, then too fast. Excitement replaced by fear. Knowing you’ll wipe out before you reach the bottom, no way to stop. Heart smashing against your ribcage, eyes wide, mouth wider. Then when the high pitched screams convert to muted breath, you reach the level ground, with white knuckles and clenched teeth, but uninjured. Let’s do it again! . Read More

Take Control
Is this your idea of portion control: a sleeve of Oreos, a pint of ice cream, eating chips out of the bag until you’re full, placing enough food on your plate so the flowery print underneath no longer shows?

Does the idea of measuring your food in cups, counting grapes and weighing your meat when you made it through an exhausting day seem ridiculous? I don’t blame you. Especially when you’re dining out. What are you going to do, ask the waiter serving your glass of champagne at the wedding to bring a scale for your chicken masala? Ask the attendant at the buffet table for a measuring cup? Would you even know what a correct portion was if these accommodating individuals brought you these items?

And what about food labels? Does the gibberish on the side of that Lean Cuisine leave you wanting to run for more Oreos to calm your nerves? Does the order in which they list the ingredients indicate anything? What does “% daily value” even mean?

As registered dietitians, we tell people to watch their portions and read labels but how many of you know how? And what do you do when dining out? . Read More

Is this your Typical scenario?
You made it to the gym despite your boss degrading you this afternoon. You put your gym clothes on, ate a Greek yogurt with raspberries, refilled your water bottle and loaded your IPOD with inspiring music. You start your first set of lunges and by the seventh rep you struggle to finish, ultimately giving up.

Or you wake with the plan of ordering that veggie omelet at work. You drink a bottle of water on the way, bypass the free samples of blueberry muffin pieces they entice you with as you enter the cafeteria, ignore the cinnamon wafting from the French toast, only to end up grabbing a bagel with cream cheese. . Read More